The junior varsity Twin Cities Predators are starting to pick up momentum during the Ontario Football Conference (OFC) season after a disappointing start in the first couple of weeks. The improvement was visible in a close loss to the Forest City Thunderbirds in Week 4 as well as in the 42-19 win over the Chatham-Kent Cougars last week.
It is due in large part to a much improved defense.Ā One of the keys to success has been defensive back Daniel Lieu as he has been a force for the Predatorsā unit.
At 5ā6ā, 135 lbs and only 15 years old, Lieu is showing a lot of promise on the Predators defense as he has caught many interceptions and had helped the Predators slow down opponentās offences while challenging quarterbacks.
Against a tough Stampeders team in Week 1, Lieu never gave up on his team as he caught an interception against a red-hot offence. Over the past couple weeks, Lieu has shown that same spirit and competiveness consistently and always giving it his all against any opponent.
āThere a lot of strong teams out there and we are going to give a 110 percent no matter which team we face,ā added Lieu.
Although Lieu only started playing football two years ago (13 years old) and is only his second season with the Predators, his skills are continually improving and he is gaining recognition from his coaches.
For his part, Lieu credits his time with the Predators for making football an important part of his life.
āBeing on the Predators has been a great experience,ā commented Lieu.Ā āThe players and coaches are great and I always have fun.ā
āPredatorsā football brings everyone together and creates a brotherhood. Being on the team has also changes you as a player by greatly enhancing your skills and making you stand out in high school football.ā
Even at fifteen with no set plans for the future one thing Lieu knows for sure is that after high school, he would like to go on to university and hopefully continue playing football.
However, his present focus is on the remainder of the Predatorsā season.
With a noticeable enhancement in defense, Lieu hopes to improve personally by being an effective playmaker as well developing his skills for the future.
āThis season I hope to play great and get lots of interceptions,ā said Lieu.Ā āI also hope to improve all my skills to prep for the upcoming high school football season.ā
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